Xiaomi announced their tiny Mi Box Mini media player powered by Mediatek MT8685A quad core processor in January, and the power plug sized box sells in China for 199 RMB (~$32 US). The good news is that I’ve just found out it listed on GeekBuying for $54.99, and several sellers also offer it for just under $50 on Aliexpress, so it’s available worldwide now, as long as you are comfortable purchase it online. [Update: Gearbest has it for $42.98 with coupon MIBOX]
Mi Box mini specifications:
- SoC – Mediatek MT8685(A) quad core ARM Cortex A7 @ 1.3GHz with Mali-450MP4 GPU (4 fragment + 2 vertex cores) @ 416MHz
- System Memory – 1GB DDR3
- Storage – 4GB eMMC 4.5 flash
- Video & Audio Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 1080p with Dolby 2.0 and Digital Plus pass-through
- Video Codecs – H.265, H.264, H.263, MPEG 1/2/4, VP8 (Up to 1080p30)
- Connectivity – Dual band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0
- Power Supply – Integrated into device. 100-240V 50/60Hz input
- Dimensions – 46.8 x 46.8 x 38 mm
- Weight – 73 grams
The device comes with a 1.5 meter HDMI cable, a Bluetooth remote control,. and a user’s manual. It runs MUIU TV based on Android 4.4.2, and the bad news is that the user interface is exclusively in Chinese, so the box is reserved to Chinese speakers, and possibly tinkerers who may want to experiment with the platform and/or create custom firmware / ROMs. However, the box is Google certified (CTS) meaning Google Play is pre-loaded with Google’s “blessings”.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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